


protect this tender heart

by writeash



Series: Requests and Shorts [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Background Allurance If You Squint, Background Punk If You Squint, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Shiro (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Keith's Space Wolf, Kuron deserved better, Kuron is Shiro (Voltron)'s Clone, Kuron is Valid, Love Confessions, M/M, Memories, Mind Meld, Nightmares, Platonic Cuddling, Post Season 6, Season/Series 06 Spoilers, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Team as Family, i might rewrite this later, soul meld
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 19:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14940017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writeash/pseuds/writeash
Summary: Keith nods and turns to walk to the controls, settling into the seat. He glances around for just a second, thinking about how just today… he had done it. He had called out to Shiro, had the Black Lion’s wings rise and rip through space… he had been able to really find and bring Shiro back this time.





	protect this tender heart

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I was not expecting the response I got from this! Thank you guys so much!

Keith made sure Shiro was comfortable. After everything that he had endured, this was the least that he could do. Once everyone agreed that they could spend maybe two quintants on this rock resting, and then they would head for Olkarion or another nearby planet to slingshot to Earth, Keith had excused himself, his emotions barely held back.

Silently, he had carried Shiro’s limp form back into the Black Lion, settling him down ever so tenderly in the back space. He couldn’t put him in the body unit. The glass casing reminded him too much of a coffin and after what Shiro had told him on the astral plane –

Keith forced himself to swallow around a growing knot in his throat, shoving it down painfully.

Wolf lingered at Keith’s side, golden eyes nonblinking as they flickered between Keith and Shiro.

Keith hesitated, staring at Shiro as he lay there, and then carefully reaching forwards petting the tuft of his hair for a moment.

His white hair.

Keith bit his lip and looked down, taking a deep breath before he got himself back to his feet, satisfied that Shiro was secure. Krolia came in not even seconds after that, her sharp eyes taking in everything that her son quickly hid, hardening his gaze.

“Is everyone okay?” Keith flinches internally for how badly his voice is low, raspy, ragged.

Exhausted. Broken.

Krolia looks at her son with something like concern, but trying not to push it. “Yes. The others are just exhausted after the battle with Lotor… and the loss of the castle was also a blow. But your friends are strong, Keith. They will recover.”

Keith nods and turns to walk to the controls, settling into the seat. He glances around for just a second, thinking about how just today… he had done it. He had called out to Shiro, had the Black Lion’s wings rise and rip through space… he had been able to really find and bring Shiro back this time.

 _Or have you_? The fear gnawed at the back of his head. He had thought he had saved Shiro once before…

Keith’s eyes narrowed and he glanced out the window into the setting sun of this planet that they had settled on. For one small moment, he had worried that Allura would tell him it was time to let Shiro go. That the body was beyond repair, that nothing could be done about his spirit. But she hadn’t.

He took a breath, rubbing at his face, wincing as he felt the rough burn of the scar now on his face. He touched it, frowning for a moment. It… it wasn’t like this was something new. He had a scar on his shoulder. You get scars in war.

_You don’t have to fight anymore!_

Keith shivered a little, remembering the darkness he had seen in those eyes. Those eyes that had held such warmth for him on other occasions.

He tensed, feeling something wet nudge his hand and he looked down quickly, senses poised to jump. To leap away.

Wolf stared at him with his piercing yellow eyes. Keith had learned those eyes well over the past two years. He gave a weak smile and turned to lean over the wolf, running his fingers through the soft, silvery mane. The golden eyes closed as the wolf let Keith pet him.

“Sorry. I know that this must all be really confusing for you.” He murmured softly. “That place in the quantum realm was all that you had known… and I just took you from it.”

Wolf licked his hand, those eyes opening again and Keith was startled by the expression he thought he saw. It was exasperation. Those eyes slid closed again and nudged Keith’s hand and he smiled softly, scratching behind it’s ears. “Sorry, sorry… hey, you must be hungry, huh?”

Krolia glanced over and gave a tiny smile. “Not likely. I fed him already before we left the Castle, just in case it took us too long to land. Wolf should be good for now.”

Keith smiled, and suddenly, emotion began to tighten in his chest. He remembered the day that he had first seen Wolf, springing in to protect him. He remembered Romelle and her story, Allura’s face upon Lotor’s betrayal, the imposter’s pained expression, wearing Shiro’s face. Those words thrown at each other on the space station, Keith screaming for Shiro’s help and receiving it, the destruction of the Sincline ships, the destruction of the castle, Shiro opening his eyes-

_I love you!_

Keith’s throat felt impossibly tight and he suddenly felt his face being buried into thick fur, arms snaking around a strong body. He felt the fur beneath his cheeks grow wet but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Krolia had seen him cry already. It had been two years.

Wolf was loyal and loving to Keith, the first pet that he ever got. The first friend besides Shiro he didn’t have to snap at first to get anywhere. He didn’t move to judge Keith if his shoulders shook, or his fur grew wet under Keith’s grief.

Keith hated feeling like this. He did. He usually bottled up his emotions, or more recently took them out in a training exercise. But his body was too sore for that. His muscles had a deep, bone-sunk ache that left him feeling older than his years, and his heart was already bruised and hurting, no matter how much he had tried to hide it.

But because of the bruises, the hurt leaked out. Maybe there were more than bruises, especially after everything he had been through.

Wolf stayed still, a pillar for him as Keith shook, never make a sound as he silently suffered.

Eventually, it was the growing ache in his back and neck that forced Keith away from Wolf, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand furiously. He looked to Wolf who was watching him once more with those golden eyes.

“I’m okay…. Thanks.” He murmured softly, scratching Wolf’s ears, trying to convince himself.

Wolf apparently had enough of the loving, turning and nipping at Keith’s fingers before padding away from the cockpit.

Keith leaned back in his seat, wishing that these things had a recline feature. Seriously, super advanced alien technology and they couldn’t even let someone push the seat back for comfort?

Black suddenly purred in his head and Keith very visibly, very physically, flinched. It had been too long since he had had one of the Lions in his head and he had forgotten the sensation. There was something like amusement in her purr and Keith frowned. She found the thought of reclining seats to be amusing? He glanced back to see what else she could possibly be laughing at.

Krolia was making herself comfortable in one of the corners, using one of the blankets that they had taken from the castle. Wolf was sniffing at Shiro (nothing unusual, a space dog is still a space dog).

Looking ahead again, Keith rubbed his eyes and leaned back against the seat. Maybe it was automatic.

Nothing. He frowned and pushed back against the seat, digging his hands into the sides to try and help. Nope.

Black purred again, and Keith realized that, yes, he was the source of her amusement. He huffed. “Gee, thanks, Black. Glad to know that you really are a mama lion.”

Black gave another amused purr and Keith tensed as an image came to his head. Krolia battling guards to save Keith. A real mother lioness.

Keith gave a small smile. “Yeah… guess that I have sorta been through a lot since we last did this, haven’t I?”

“Please tell me that this is normal Paladin behavior.” Krolia’s voice suddenly piped up. “I understand if you’re stressed about Lotor and Shiro and… and everything that had happened but,” she paused, Keith twisting to look at her again, “this certainly isn’t anything I was expecting when you said you were a Paladin.”

Keith blinks and gave her a soft look. “No. This, is normal. See… part of all of this is the bond between Lion and Paladin.” He looked to the cockpit as the lights shifted and changed settings, Black settling into their bond once more. “Black isn’t just a vehicle. The Lion is… alive in its own way.”

Krolia blinked and looked around their cockpit. “…I remember you telling me once. Something about the Red Lion coming to save you whenever you were in a tight situation.”

Keith nodded. “Yeah… the Lions protect those that they are bonded to. Black… Black has always been Shiro’s lion. I was only ever meant to-“

“Keith.”

Keith turned to look at his mother once more. Krolia looked at him with something like anguish and pride. “You are never ‘only’ Keith. You were not only my son, or only his protégé. You are more.”

Keith blinked and looked down and away. “…you should get some rest, Mom. We have a long way ahead of us.”

Keith shifted so he was staring forwards again, at the other Lions. He heard some shuffling, possibly Krolia getting comfortable, and then nothing. He exhaled, and leaned back against the seat, recliners be damned. He had slept in worse situations.

He crossed his arms to get comfortable, and one he was satisfied, he closed his eyes. Keith focused on his breathing. Matching the pace he had formed over the past two years. And tried to quiet his mind.

_We are not going anywhere!_

_An empty cold gaze._

_A horrible cold feeling sinking in his stomach as a violently purple blade sprung from Shiro’s hand._

_Running._

_Heart pounding._

_Fear._

_Confusion._

_Pain._

_That’s the Keith I remember!_

_That horrible taunting voice._

Keith flinched and rubbed his forehead, trying to think of something else. Anything but that.

Black purred again, softer and much more worried this time. A gentle warmth surrounded him, from within and without, and Keith felt like Black was trying to protect him. He remembered countless nights, sleeping with Wolf at his back, under his mother’s gaze. Sleeping with Shiro just down the hall, Shiro watching over him.

Black purred again and this time, Keith could feel himself sinking into darkness. He welcomed it for the first time in days.

-

_Keith could feel the bruises already forming, the heat of the blade that threatened to rip him open. He could feel the impressions of the unforgiving surfaces of the ground, slamming into his sides and stiffening into black and blue. He groaned, forcing himself up as he looked around and tensed._

_He knew this place._

_He had just been here… what? Had everything that followed been a dream? How long had he been out?_

_Grunts and yells came from the distance and Keith swung his head and stared._

_It couldn’t be._

_Shiro was throwing everything he had into his battle. Keith knew how he fought, his body had been mapped and marked with the strength behind every single blow and every single tactic he could think of._

_His opponent was smaller. Quicker, but without the resolve to use his own strengths to his advantage. Keith could see it, Keith had seen it._

_Shiro swung that horrible blade, catching through metal instead of flesh and a small barrier fell between the two fighters._

_Keith tensed, forcing himself to his feet. He felt like someone had laced his armor with lead, struggling as he walked across the broken steel path towards the fight. He tried to yell, tried to go faster, but his body was barely obeying him as is. He stumbled, falling to the edge and over it, slamming into the ground behind Shiro._

_He panted, but no noise came. Even as his lungs were heaving, no noise came._

_The fighters had paused for a moment to catch their breath._

_“Shiro, I know you’re in there!”_

_Keith’s eyes went wide. How? He raised his head and saw himself staring back at Shiro from between the small barrier between the two. He looked terrified, small._

_“You promised me once that you would never give up on me!” His other self yelled, begging. Reaching for a man that had died._

_“And I should have abandoned you, just like your parents did!” Shiro snarled at him._

_Keith flinched, struggling to remember, to hold on. He knew the truth now, Shiro didn’t. Krolia left to protect her family, his father… Keith had never been abandoned. Keith had been loved._

_Hadn’t he?_

_“I’m not leaving without you, Shiro.” His other self called to him. A part of Keith broke inside._

_Shiro suddenly let out a laugh. “Actually… neither of us are leaving.” There had been that horrible look, that sinister glee Shiro took in trying to break Keith down, his words cutting into him._

_Keith knew what happened next. The lights should be turning red… and they slowly were. But instead of Shiro’s arm being torn apart… the blade suddenly reappeared from his hand and he lunged across the way to attack Keith._

_Keith suddenly screamed, but his voice would not be heard. “No!”_

_His other self could only watch in terror, stumbling back and struggling to raise his sword to meet a parry – only for Shiro to throw a thrust._

_Keith felt the blow rather than saw it, the heat of the metal so sudden and terrible that it was cold, spreading it through his body. He saw the weight of his other self go limp against Shiro, Shiro holding him, whispering. But Keith could feel those words, even as he stumbled to his feet._

_“You’ve been fighting for so long now, Keith. Just rest. You’ll see me soon… and this is what you wanted, isn’t it?”_

_Keith stumbled, trying to walk towards them._

_“You wanted us to be together? Now, you get your wish. We get to die together.”_

_Suddenly Keith felt like he was being thrown through the air. He flailed, trying to get a sense of direction until suddenly he was slamming into a platform hundreds of yards below. The air was thrown out of his lungs and he felt like something may have snapped._

_But… this isn’t how it happened._

_This was all wrong._

_This was worse._

_He groaned, struggling to catch his breath as he turned, his vision blurry._

_He saw his knife, his mother’s knife. The knife she had given him to protect him because he might have needed it some day. The knife she gave him because she loved him._

_Keith grit his teeth. Shiro… Shiro was wrong. Keith was loved. He forced himself to roll, to crawl towards his knife. His only defense, his mother’s love embodied for him in the only way she could protect him._

_He reached for it, but like before, he could only reach so far before he didn’t have his strength left. He collapsed, groaning into the unforgiving metal beneath him._

_He barely reacted to the thud. This he remembered. He remembered too painfully._

_He heard the sword activating. He… he couldn’t. He couldn’t let Shiro do this! He was in there somewhere! He had to be!_

_As the sword swung down, Keith grabbed the blade and barely protected himself from the powerful downward swing. Both straining against each other._

_Finally, his voice found him. But it was a painful reminder._

_“Shiro! Please!” He begged, he cried. He opened his eyes, staring into this horribly morphed face of the man that he loved. “You’re my brother!” No…. no that wasn’t right. He saw no change in the man above him. Did… Did Shiro really not know? Did he not consider…?_

_“I love you!” Keith choked out, struggling to reach him. And then, he saw it. A detail that he didn’t before._

_Shiro’s horrible snarl softened. He looked… torn. Conflicted. Surprised. As if he had never known._

_Then that snarl returned, and Keith waited for those words. Those horrible rejection, those words that glossed over everything-_

_Shiro’s skin began to change. His snarl twisted into a sneer and his skin darkened to a terrible violet, slimming and shifting into something familiar. Those eyes… those wonderful eyes began to change, a hint of yellow in the white and the slits angry and dark and suddenly Keith wanted to scream in terror._

_Staring back at him was a terrible monster. His own reflection, if things had been different. But he still saw Shiro. The scar on the nose. The hair messier and familiar but still with a white streak. Keith saw an abomination of himself and Shiro, their bond personified and twisted into this ugly creature. This creature that had their faces._

_“You think he loves you back?” The creature spat at him._

_Keith tensed. Its voice was his and Shiro’s. Blended horribly together._

_“You think that he ever cared like you did? That he ever saw more than a boy he could teach? Pathetic!” The creature pressed harder and Keith struggled, closing his eyes and pushing back, but the heat of the sword grew closer. Even with his eyes closed, he could still see it._

_“He died and you couldn’t even save him! You failed him, you had everyone you ever loved leave! He is no different!”_

_Keith began to scream as the heat began to boil his skin. The creature’s twisted voice grew louder. “Just give up, Keith!”_

_The blade touched his cheek._

With a scream, Keith’s eyes burst open and his hand shot out, grabbing something solid and strong – something that was touching his face. His eyes were wild and they locked onto a familiar face. One that looked startled.

As if he hadn’t just been fighting that face.

Keith tensed and shoved Shiro’s face away, trapped still. “Get away!” He stumbled from the Black Lion seat, his legs tangling in something as he crashed to the floor. He heard a faint growl and Wolf’s snout pressing to his face, checking on him along with Krolia calling to him.

But his eyes were fixed on one person. Even in the dark, Keith instantly noted the changes. The white hair. The tired eyes, the color that they should be. The missing arm. The only hand he had left, raised to either reach out or placate him.

Shiro spoke gently. “Keith… easy.” His voice… it was so soft. So tired.

_I died._

Keith winced and struggled to move, tangled in… in a blanket. He grabbed it and quickly yanked it off himself, Wolf still pressing into him. He weakly shoved the creature away, keenly aware of eyes on him. He stood quickly, and stumbled for the hatch to get outside, feeling Black lowering to the ground and opening the huge jaws the Lion held.

He inhaled the night air sharply, forcing himself to focus on the air around him instead of the demons whispering in his head.

He reached up, tugging his hair, feeling matted and heavy with sweat. Clinging to him. He sits just a few feet away from Black, sensing her rumbling worriedly for her Paladin.

“I’m fine.” He whispered. Even to himself, he didn’t sound believeable. He grips his head, closing his eyes tightly. “I’m fine.”

 _Those terrible eyes_.

“I’m fine.”

_A sword rushing for him._

“I’m fine!”

 _I died, Keith_.

“I’m fine!”

_I love you!_

“I-I…”

_Just give up, Keith!_

Keith felt the tears coming down his cheeks, his shoulders shaking. The wetness was hot, ever present… Keith didn’t think he had ever cried like this. He felt like his heart was crying too, his very being releasing everything that had happened.

He felt Wolf curl around him and he opened his eyes, blinking away tears just long enough to see his friend looking at him worriedly. He hugged Wolf tightly as the creature stayed right there.

Keith was loved.

…was.

-

When everyone emerged from their lions, Keith had already started a fire. He had cleaned his face and made sure Shiro and his mother were still asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept seeing Shiro’s face aboard that space station. Then that creature, that twisted figure of the two of them, taunting him.

He had slept enough.

He glanced up as the others approached from their lions, Wolf instantly going to Hunk to sniff for some more food. Hunk chuckled and awkwardly pat Wolf’s head, the dog staring at Hunk expectantly with those haunting yellow eyes.

Hunk looked up. “Um… does the staring game from Wolf mean that he’s waiting be fed, or to feed on me?”

Keith blinks and chuckles. “Wolf doesn’t eat people, Hunk. You just have most of our provisions, so he smells them on you.”

Hunk awkwardly pet Wolf as he sat down, waiting patiently. Hunk nodded and went back into the Yellow Lion to grab food.

Lance and Allura settled around the fire with Keith. Allura looked to Keith. “Are you alright? You look like you haven’t slept all night.”

Keith looked to her and then looked away. “I didn’t sleep too well. I was too worried about Shiro.” It wasn’t a total lie. He picked a little at the dirt by his knee. “He was resting when I last checked on him, but…”

Lance leaned forwards. “Hey. We all know that you’re worried but… we aren’t gonna lose him again. Promise.”

Keith smiled weakly. “I know. But… he’s just been through so much-“

“As have you.” Allura said quickly. “Keith, we haven’t exactly talked about it, but… before you went through Haggar’s wormhole, you didn’t have that scar.” Keith tensed and touched the mark on his cheek. Allura gave him a gentle smile. “If you want to talk about it…”

Keith shook his head and gave her a smile. “I’ll be okay. Right now, we should focus on regrouping and figuring out how we are all getting to Earth just on the Lions.”

Lance nodded. “Yeah… about that… Red needs to recharge. I’ve bene trying to reduce power output, but… the Lions are at their limits.”

Keith blinked. “Black is just fine. Maybe at about eighty percent, but nothing too serious.”

Allura blinked and frowned. “Hmm… wait. Keith. Remember when you rejoined us to battle the Sincline ships? You used the Black Lion’s wings, didn’t you?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah… Shiro helped me from inside the Black Lion to… see you guys through Black. Once the wings were deployed… but yeah. Why?”

“Don’t you remember? One of the thrusters was damaged.” Allura looked at him and then excitedly to Lance. “Perhaps the Lions do not need the Castle to completely recharge. It would make sense that by bonding with them, the quintessence ties and the power from that new bond would provide more power to the Lion.”

Lance blinks and smiles. “So, you’re saying I have to buddy buddy it up with Red?”

Keith lost interest as the two began to toss back ideas and even a few quips (if Lance’s laughter was anything to go by). He glanced at Black, remembering the energy he had felt from the lion the night before, comforting him. He focused a little more as Krolia appeared, emerging slowly… and helping Shiro, who had his only arm around her shoulders, looking worse for wear.

Keith instantly tensed and got to his feet. “Shiro.” He went to them, helping his mother support Shiro’s other side. Shiro blinked and looked at Keith and Keith nearly flinched at how fond his expression was.

“Keith.” Shiro murmured. “Hey, there you are… are you doing okay this morning?”

“You shouldn’t be up and around.” Keith deflected, fighting the ache within him. He didn’t see the confusion in Shiro’s eyes. He helped his mother get Shiro down to the fire, glancing around for something to grab, something for Shiro to lean against. He blinked and looked to see Wolf appear again, and lower himself behind Shiro, holding some food.

Shiro stared at the wolf a little with wide eyes and gave a weak smile and leaned back into the strong creature. He relaxed a little. Wolf ignored the new weight to his back and began to tear into whatever Hunk gave him. Keith carefully settled by his side, petting his head for a moment as Pidge walked over with Romelle and Coran.

Keith felt his exhaustion prickle behind his eyes, forcing himself to keep calm.

Romelle smiled weakly to Keith, and settled down besides Allura, head down. Coran settled on her other side, casting a worried glance at the new Altean before he looked to Shiro and perked up.

“Shiro, you’re up and about already?”

Shiro smiled weakly. “Well, as much as I appreciate the Black Lion, I needed some air.” Even his voice was still too soft, too tired. Keith internally kicked himself for not thinking of that. Shiro had spent _months_ inside the Black Lion…

Lance smiled to their white haired leader. “Well, at least we aren’t doing much right now. How do you feel?”

Shiro nodded. “Better. Just… tired. It’s gonna take me a bit.” He glanced to his stump and then to his flesh hand. He glanced to Keith, and his eyes held lots of questions. A few of which Keith was not ready to answer. Keith looked him over and then looked up as Hunk brought some provisions over.

Pidge smiled happily, everyone taking a small packet of food. They opened and ate in silence, the silence around them holding a small conversation they needed to have. The crinkle of wrappers, the snapping of the fire, eating quietly on their meals. Even Wolf’s sloppier, less quiet eating felt like it belonged and Keith realized instantly.

This was the first time they had all been together since he left.

He smiled at the thought, taking comfort in that one fact. He had left to find who he was. He had returned with a mother, a new friend in Romelle, a wolf… and Shiro. His family was bigger.

“So… what happened? I don’t remember much, only what the Black Lion really noticed.”

Lance hesitated. “Well… we all know now that you were replaced by a clone. Probably planted here by Haggar.” He looked down. “And…” he glanced at the others.

Pidge spoke up, her voice gentle. “We sorta talked about it last night after Keith took you back into the Lion to rest. We think… we think that the imposter was sent to break up Voltron, especially to push Keith away.”

Shiro tensed a little, eyes widening. “Push…?” he looked to Keith sharply, Keith looking to Pidge with something of an angry expression.

Pidge glanced up. “Your clone… pushed Keith. Harder than we noticed. We figured it was just because Keith was a new leader and you were trying to help. But after Keith left… Lance pointed this out, especially after what Keith has been acting like these past few days with saving you… you didn’t fight him to stay.”

Keith frowned and stood. He couldn’t take this.

_I should have abandoned you-!_

Keith stormed off, muttering something about needing to check the navigation systems. The others watched him.

Shiro watched him go too, a small part of him aching. He looked down at his arm, noticing the cut of the metal. He tensed, seeing what had happened. He leaned forwards a little, feeling Krolia watch him carefully in her son’s stead. He looked right at Pidge, eyes intense. “Tell me everything.”

Krolia leaned forwards. “Shiro. This will be a lot to take in and you still need your rest.”

Shiro frowned. “I need to know.”

Krolia blinked and Shiro didn’t miss that faint smirk spread over her face. He turned back to Pidge, who looked at him with such an open expression. He nodded to the Green Paladin, eyes open and ready to take it in. “Everything.”

-

Krolia filled in what gaps she could, telling the others of her two years with Keith in the quantum realm (Pidge and Hunk had almost derailed the story for questions until Shiro had reeled them in), explaining how Keith had been born, how she had met his father, why she had left, and how they had found Wolf. The team then explained Keith’s return, Lotor’s betrayal, and then Keith charging in after him through Haggar’s wormhole to Keith reappearing… with an unconscious clone, and a scar on his cheek.

It was that gap of memory that worried Shiro the most.

He looked down at his empty food canister, feeling tears prick in his eyes. “I never…”

Keith had been through all of that. Keith had kept his chin up through all of that?

No. something didn’t add up. His haunted expression last night, how he had fled from Shiro. Never before had Keith wanted to get away from him, never before had he looked at Shiro with such… fear. Shiro frowned. The imposter had done something to Keith, that much was obvious. But what?

He leaned back against Wolf, looking at the huge blue creature. He smiled weakly. “…at least Keith isn’t alone anymore.” He whispered.

Lance hesitated and looked him over closely. “…okay, I’m gonna say what everyone is thinking. The hair? Really kinda… weird.”

Shiro blinks and reaches up with his hand. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

Pidge smiled weakly. “Nothing is _wrong_ with your hair… it’s just... matching to your personality now?”

Shiro frowned and looked to Allura who was smiling herself. Oh, come on, not her too. Allura giggled anyways and said. “Well… you certainly could pass for an Altean now?”

Shiro tensed. “Wait, what?” He looked around for some sort of reflective surface. Did he have weird markings now? Pointy ears? _A mustache_?

Krolia smiled, shaking her head before she took a small, makeshift knife from her belt and gave it to Shiro. It was a crude, flat piece of metal… but he would be able to see himself. He blinked, staring at his white tuft of hair and then turned it to the side. He tensed, and he noticed white eyebrows to match. His eyes widen, tilting his head and the piece of metal carefully. Every strand of dark hair and turned white.

He looked to the others and then to Allura.

She smiled softly. “I suppose I am to blame for your new look… but when I transferred your essence from the Black Lion back to your new body, the quintessence exposure must have been too much…”

Shiro blinks and slowly smiles. “No it’s…” untouched. Perfect. New. He looked to them. “It’s perfect.” He smiled softly, leaning back against Wolf.

He glanced to the creature and was startled a little to find huge yellow eyes staring at him. He blinks, and for once second, he gets a glimmer. A sound.

_Shiro! Please! You’re…_

Shiro tenses and looks to Wolf again. He glances to the others, all of them glancing to him, but split off into their own conversations. Shiro looks to Wolf again, those eyes bearing right into him. He turns, wincing a little as he looks up at the Black Lion. He needs to know. And… if what happened to this body is what he theorizes…. He needs to know. He slowly gets up, pushing off of Wolf, and before anyone else can move, the creature nuzzles his hand, letting Shiro brace his left hand on the creature’s back, letting it guide him to the Lion.

Wolf was steady, patient, glancing to him with those frighteningly observant eyes a Shiro made his way to the Lion. Black rumbled and lowered herself for Shiro. He climbed inside, knowing what he needed. The air inside felt stale… and while his heart thundered with the fear of possibly never coming back, especially how long he had been there… he stumbled into the seat anyways. He had to.

He closed his eyes.

“Show me. Show me what I am missing.”

Black’s cockpit lit up, and there came a small concerned noise. Shiro set his jaw. “I have to know what happened to him.”

Black growled and led Shiro down a path, into an asteroid. Following a set of meandering footsteps, into a Galra installation, where he looked up – and saw hundreds of his own face staring back at him.

And that was only the beginning of the horror.

-

Keith didn’t care much for the beauty of sunsets. It was just the projection of light through the atmosphere that changed across the color spectrum. He sighed, glad to have found an outcropping far enough away from camp the others couldn’t hear him but close enough that his mother and Wolf could keep en eye on them.

He loved them, dearly. He did. But… he felt haunted as he remembered. Shiro’s gaze as Keith confessed his love for him. Had… had that been Shiro in some small way? Or was that entirely the imposter? If it had been a clone, with so many of those memories… then… why had he reacted like that?

Keith hugged his knees to his chest. He kept hearing the words thrown at him as they fought. Was that Shiro or the imposter? Is that…. Is that truly how Shiro felt? He closed his eyes and touched his cheek, the burn scar rough. He tensed, turning as a hand took his own away from his cheek, holding his fingers tenderly.

Shiro smiled tiredly at him, Wolf at his side as he carefully and awkwardly sat down. “Mind if I join?” he murmured.

Keith would never say no, scooting over anyways. He looked to Shiro, missing the warm from his human hand as Shiro had to balance himself, Wolf curling up for them to lean on.

Keith carefully looked Shiro over as the other man leaned back against Wolf, watching out over the small rock that they had landed on. He tried to take in the details. The white hair was… still something he had to get used to. He took in the soft smile, something he hadn’t seen from Shiro in a long time. But… there was something weird about his skin still. Keith frowned.

“Remember when we were split across the universe? And you raced across a planet to save me?” Shiro suddenly asked.

Keith blinks, eyes widening. “O-Of course I remember.”

Shiro still smiled into the middle distance as Keith stared. “You came for me, even when staying with Red may have been better for you.” Shiro looked to him. “You stayed patient. You believed we would see each other again.” Those eyes went straight into Keith and he could feel his heart suddenly jump, his eyes stinging. He forces himself to look away.

“And I made you a promise I would never give up on you.” Shiro murmured, pushing off of Wolf to try and catch Keith’s eyes again.

Keith looked away, closing his eyes. He couldn’t do this.

Shiro reached and took his hand. “Keith. You can talk to me, I can tell something is bothering you…”

Keith felt his shoulders wanting to shake, his throat tighten. He suddenly turned to Shiro, glaring even thogh all he wanted was to melt into his arms. “Is it really you this time?” He asked suddenly.

Shiro blinked and looked pained.

Keith stared and he felt his throat beginning tighten but his grit his teeth. “Are you really you, this time?” He demanded, choking up. “Because… I can’t do this again, Shiro. I can’t keep losing you..”  
  
Suddenly a strong arm was around him, bringing him to a strong chest. Keith didn’t fight, resting against Shiro, his eyes staring over his shoulder, shaking. He could feel the tears still falling, but he couldn’t move.

“Your name is Keith. Your mother tells me she almost named you Yorak.” Keith inhaled sharply. “Your favorite animal is the hippo, you are ambidextrous, but you prefer your right right hand when acting without thinking.” Shiro reached up to tenderly run his fingers through Keith’s hair. He continued, voice soft, tender. “You hate it when people comment on your hair, but you really don’t care. You got your hoverbike from your father, you let me wear his jacket. I entrusted you to be the Black Paladin should something happen to me, you appeared to me on the astral plane, the consciousness of the Lions.” Shiro curled closer around Keith, his voice shaking.

Keith suddenly couldn’t see, his tears blurring his vision too much. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling a warm rush down his cheeks.

Shiro whispered. “You said I changed your life, when you changed mine for the better as well. You saved me from the Garrison, and you kept it together when the team needed you most these past two days.”

Keith sniffled and wrapped his arms tightly around Shiro, finally feeling the unease within him wash away. It was him. Keith pulled back to look into his eyes, to see him. Shiro smiled softly, keeping a hand on his side, the physical reminder he was there. Keith smiled weakly. “It really is you…”

Shiro smiled and reached up, tenderly touching his cheek. His ruined cheek. Keith hesitated. “Um…”

Shiro murmured. “The imposter did this… didn’t he? Kuron?”

Keith tensed, looking frightened. “Shiro, you didn’t-“

Shiro suddenly leaned forwards, tenderly kissing the tip of the burn, right under Keith’s eye. It was a little wet because of his tears, but Keith was frozen, his heart in his chest. He stared at Shiro as he pulled back, the white haired man smiling softly. Tenderly. He rested his forehead to Keith, Keith having to peer up at him. He couldn’t take his eyes off of him.

“Keith… I know about everything that Kuron did.”

Keith tensed, panic flaring within him. Shiro opened his eyes and looked right at him. “You have to know, I would never, _ever_ say that to you.” He stroked Keith’s cheek, fingers careful against his skin. “Never. That was all Haggar’s programing over Kuron… he wanted to try to unbalance you, to hurt you.” He looked a little desperate. “You have to know that.”

Keith bit his lip and gave a single nod. “I know, Shiro.” He whispered tearfully.

Shiro smiled weakly. “I’m… I’m glad you managed to stop him, though. That you managed to save yourself… and him.”

Keith shook his head. “He… there was enough you in him that I had to.” Keith whispered.

Shiro nodded and just held Keith close, Keith leaning into him even as the two of them pressed against Wolf. Together again under the sun hanging over a wasteland.

Shiro nuzzled his head, nose brushing into thick raven locks. He kissed the crown of Keith’s head and brought his lips to Keith’s ear and whispered.

“ _I love you, too_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a comment and let me know what you guys thought!
> 
> Also, feel free to follow my twitter now, not my tumblr, as my twitter is slowly becoming more active! Just follow @ tteotl1718 (without the space, obviously), and that is me. You can see previews, updates, learn some interesting things for 2019 and more!


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